Chain Reaction
by Ru-Doragon
Summary: "You know, if this fails, they'll blame you," he said. She paled. "The war will start again. More will die on both sides. But make no mistake, The People will lose." Not exactly AU, but written as if the books never happened. A/H. Bday present for CaptainS10.
1. Prelude

It started when he was 2 years old.

Even with his exceptional memory, he couldn't seem to recall a time before the war.

Initially, when the fairies had been revealed, it seemed as though peace between the two races might abound.

And, for several years, it did.

The problem came when the human governments and the fairy council began talks about integration.

They _said_ they tried everything.

Lies, in his opinion. Not that he really cared, one way or another.

After all, his family had profited greatly from the failed peace talks.

War mongers, some called them.

When the media would bring the accusation up, he'd simply reply that they were business people and they went where the marketplace took them.

But now, that marketplace was failing. The majority of the populace no longer supported the war.

Which meant it was time to move on.

The question was, to where?


	2. An Unorthodox Solution

**Sooooo, like I promised. Longer A/N.**

 **Welcome to my birthday fic for my friend CaptainS10!**

 **This story is written as if the books never happened. I'll try to keep the characters as IC as possible, but I make no promises. Especially since I'll be putting them in situations Colfer never even brought them close to….except one. That I know of. But that's for later.**

 **Anyway, the theme song for the story is "I Want You to Know" by Zedd featuring Selena Gomez. Take from that what you will.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Artemis Fowl, I just have my little broken dolls that I play with.**

 **Just a note: I will be using some Irish terms relating to the government. Definitions of the terms will be at the bottom of each chapter.**

 **(Bonus points go to anyone who can tell me where inspiration for the chapter titles comes from.)**

* * *

 **Chapter One: In Which an Unorthodox Solution is Proposed and Holly Takes Offense**

Artemis Fowl II scowled.

It was late in the afternoon and he was sitting at his mahogany desk in his office at Fowl Manor, his face lit by the soft glow of three computer screens.

The 24-year-old reread the message on the screen directly in front of him, then looked at the open spreadsheet on a screen to his left and clicked refresh. He scowled harder when it didn't change. What it meant didn't change either.

Fowl Industries stocks were falling, and fast.

The Fowls had spent so much time supporting and funding the war that they now were nearly as unpopular as it was.

Artemis needed to find a way to sway public opinion back into their favor — quickly.

He leaned back in his black, padded office chair. Settling his elbows on the armrests, he folded his hands and brought his index fingers to his lips.

Anyone who knew him well instantly would have been able to tell that something was up. The suit jacket he normally donned was draped over the back of the chair and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled nearly up to his elbows.

The man was distracted from his train of thought by a buzzing in the left pocket of his grey suit jacket.

He fished the phone out and pressed accept without taking his eyes from the screens.

"What?" he said silkily.

"Ah, Mr. Fowl. I'm glad you picked up."

Artemis recognized the voice immediately. Henric McGarr, the president of Ireland.

"Listen Mr. Fowl, the taoiseach and I may have something, but we would like your thoughts first."

"Something for _what_ exactly, sir?" Artemis asked, easily managing to keep his annoyance and impatience hidden. It was best to stick with official titles, even when the official in question was really nothing more than a foreman for the Irish government.

"A way to end this blasted war, of course," McGarr replied excitedly, not at all affected by the cold tone of voice coming through the phone.

Artemis narrowed his eyes, his full attention finally on the phone call.

"Your private office?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'll be there in 80 minutes." The young man ended the call without waiting for a reply. Anyone who needed to be there either was at the office already or would be by the time he arrived. He just was important like that.

* * *

He was right.

When Artemis arrived at the gates of Áras an Uachtaráin, he and Butler were escorted inside immediately.

At the front entrance, they were met by a guard who showed them to the President's Office on the second floor.

Butler was, as usual, on high alert. As soon as the door to the office opened, the Eurasian stepped inside, beginning a sweep of the room.

Artemis waited patiently, mentally sweeping the room as he knew his bodyguard was doing physically.

After checking the people, Butler would move around the room, checking under the two couches and three chairs, the coffee table nestled between them, the ornate white desk and chair the heavy-set McGarr would sit at when working and the decorative tables along the walls. For a start.

A few minutes later, Butler slipped back through the door and nodded.

"Wait out here," Artemis ordered.

Butler nodded and assumed guard duty — even though there already were two standing on either side and another three patrolling the hallway.

McGarr, Galvan O'Neill, the taoiseach, and the chairpersons of the Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann were waiting for Artemis inside.

"We want to join the humans and fairies together," O'Neill said as soon as the door was closed and locked.

Artemis merely arched an eyebrow as he moved to sit on one of the brown faux leather couches while he waited for the man to continue. He always had appreciated O'Neill's frankness.

When he didn't continue, Artemis bit back a sigh of annoyance.

"And how, exactly, do you propose we do such a thing," he finally questioned.

The other three men in the room suddenly looked rather nervous.

Dominique Ireabet, a short, thin woman who was cathaoirleach of the Seanad Éireann, rolled her dark eyes.

"Marriage," she said bluntly. "We believe that if two influential people — one from each race —show the world they can live peacefully under the same roof, it hopefully will be enough to end this war."

Artemis blinked twice and just barely managed to keep his jaw from dropping in shock. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to need some tea."

* * *

"A _marriage_?!" she screeched. Her voice almost echoed in the small, but soundproof and secure, meeting room.

Wing Commander Holly Short gaped at her commanding officer and the councilperson before her. "Are they _insane?_ "

She looked between the stocky elf and the thin, silver-haired woman and a look of abject horror crept across her face.

"No. Oh no," she said. "You can't actually tell me you're considering this!"

Root sighed. "It's unorthodox, but it just might work. Especially considering who the groom will be."

Holly narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Something was up here.

"And _who_ exactly, is the groom?" she asked, cautiously eyeing the pair before her.

Root looked uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to answer, but Helana Udell, the councilperson who just happened also to be Holly's great-aunt once removed, cut him off.

"The _point_ ," the elf-sprite mix emphasized, "is that if we are able to produce a suitable bride with equivalent status, this war very well could be over within a few short months."

Holly opened her mouth to protest the sacrificing of an innocent girl. She could just imagine the type of fairy the humans would demand — a docile, young elf or pixie who would almost certainly have to be of royal blood.

"This is not up for debate Short," Helana said harshly before Holly could get a word out.

The elf in question snapped her mouth closed. She knew better than to argue with her family's matriarch when she used that tone of voice.

Still seething, Holly gritted her teeth and somehow managed to keep her volume at a reasonable level. "Did you have someone in mind, _ma'am_?"

Helana and Root looked at each other, then back at Holly.

Root looked resigned, but Helana's expression held nothing but determination.

Holly would have expected nothing less of the councilperson's demeanor, but Root's expression...she felt a pit begin to open up in her stomach.

Pinning Holly with her grey eyes, Helana said only one word, but it was a word that would change Holly's life forever.

"You."

* * *

 **Definitions:**

 _ **Áras an Uachtaráin: official residence of the President of Ireland**_

 _ **\- located in the Phoenix Park on the north side of Dublin.**_

 _ **Taoiseach: Prime Minister of Ireland**_

 _ **Oireachtas: Legislature of Ireland**_

 _ **\- consists of the President, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann**_

 _ **Dáil Éireann: Assembly of Ireland**_

 _ **Ceann Comhairle: chairperson of the Dáil Éireann**_

 _ **Seanad Éireann: Senate of Ireland**_

 _ **Cathaoirleach: chairperson of the Seanad Éireann**_

 _ **Presidential Commission: collective vice-presidency of Ireland**_

 _ **\- 3 members: Chief Justice (President of the Supreme Court), Ceann Comhairle and Cathaoirleach**_

 **Remember:**

 **Reviews = happy me = more writing = chapters done faster = more updates.**

 **Favorites and/or followers + reviews = awesomeness.**

 **Favorites and/or followers with no reviews = sad me = less writing = chapters taking longer = more time between updates.**


	3. An Unexplained Ordeal

**A/N: Soooo…I don't know what to say here. Just that the next person to up my review count simply by saying ":please update" is going to get kicked out. Tell me more than that people! WHY should I update, for starters! I want to know what you like/dislike!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl, I just have my little broken dolls that I play with.**

 **(Bonus points go to anyone who can tell me where inspiration for the chapter titles comes from.)**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: In Which Some Things Colfer Didn't NOT Specify About Holly are Revealed but Not Yet Explained**

Holly couldn't believe her ears.

"I'm sorry," she said weakly. "I don't think I heard you correctly. I thought you said _me_."

This time Root was the one to respond.

"Yes, Short," he said tiredly. "You."

The pit Holly had felt open up at their expressions turned into a black hole, sucking all the air from her lungs.

She shook her head slowly. Hearing Root say it somehow made it more real. But still it didn't make sense.

"But...but why _me_?" Holly looked to Root, the man who she practically considered a father, with wide, desperate eyes. "This is a political marriage, right? Why me? Wouldn't they want someone of royal blood or—"

"You _are_ of royal blood," Helana said, cutting her off sharply. "You are a fourth generation Child of the Gods. You have more royal blood in your little finger than there is left in the entire Frond family."

Holly paled.

"But—"

"No buts!" Helana snapped. "It has been decided. If the humans approve you as the bride, you _will_ marry the Mud Man."

With that, she turned on her heel and left, the small heels of her shoes clicking against the tile as she gracefully swept out of the office.

Holly stared after her blankly, shaking with shock, but it wasn't until Root gently pushed her down into a chair that she realized how close her legs were to giving out.

"This can't be happening." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and bowing her head as she tried to regulate her breathing.

Root gripped her shoulder tightly, trying to offer some measure of comfort. "Short—"

Holly wasn't listening. "No. No, I don't believe this."

"Short—"

"They'll want someone they _know_ is royal, not some LEP officer," she said desperately. "They'll never accept anything less. They'll—"

Root finally cut her off. "This _is_ real Short. And they specifically requested a Child of the Gods."

Holly shook her head furiously. "But they don't know about us. They can't. They—"

Again, he cut her off. "They do know. Don't ask me how, but they know."

Holly looked up at him helplessly, panic clear in her eyes.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered.

Root looked at her sadly. "You do what you've always done, Holly. I wish I had a different answer, but I don't."

When she looked confused, he continued. "You do what's best for The People."

* * *

The next few weeks passed in a blur to Holly.

She was approved as the bride, as she had known she would be once her initial shock wore off. Her linage combined with her high-ranking position in the LEP had left little doubt about that particular issue.

Root had given her the time between the approval and the wedding off. She had tried to refuse — there was still a war going on and the LEP needed her — but Root had snapped that she better get off her high horse because the LEP could damn well last without her for a few weeks.

He was partially right. They ended up having to call her in for several planning sessions and to oversee a few missions, but they'd always send her home immediately afterward. She had things to do, they said.

They were right, even if she didn't want to admit it.

The majority of the basic wedding planning — venue, decorations, food, colors, seating arrangements — Holly had absolutely nothing to do with. Although she did manage to sneak a few of her closest friends onto the guest list.

 _Because gods know,_ she thought, _they'll never let me invite the people I care about otherwise._

There were, however, a few things she did have to be a part of.

For starters, because she was to marry a human, there were to be two ceremonies — human and fairy — and the human one, she had to learn.

It had turned out that dresses were traditional in human weddings as well as fairy ones. As such, Helana had tried to get her to go dress shopping. Holly had flat out refused.

The councilperson had been furious and demanded she pick one, even going so far as threatening to pick one for her if she didn't, but Holly hadn't budged. She might not be able to say no to the wedding, but she sure as hell could to the dress.

Holly had looked Helana straight in the eyes and told her she was wearing her dress blues and that was final. She was a wing commander first, a woman second, and she wasn't about to let anyone forget that fact.

The more complicated parts of the wedding plans, Holly had no choice but to take part in. As a high ranking member of her clan, not to mention the one getting married, it was her job to prepare the necessary supplies for the fairy ceremony.

Normally, she didn't mind helping out with such things, but since she wanted nothing to do with _this_ particular wedding, she procrastinated as much as possible.

What she couldn't get out of — and quite frankly didn't want to — was Color Guard duty. She was the captain after all.

Preparation for the Presentation of the Colors, Holly dove into eagerly. She'd been a member of the Guard for 46 years and it always had been something she had enjoyed. Plus, she had no intention of letting her current circumstances ruin what was going to be her last performance since only unmarried women born into the clan could be part of the Guard.

Holly spent hours leading practice sessions multiple times a week, far longer and far more often than she normally would have, but no one complained. This was going to be the largest and most important performance of their lives, and they knew it. No one wanted to screw up.

The unspoken, and by far more important reason for not complaining, was that they all knew Holly, and even without being told, they knew the marriage wasn't something she had volunteered for.

All too soon though, the day arrived.

* * *

 **ATTENTION REVIEWERS! If you're reviewing as a guest, awesome! Reviews are always welcome. That being said, GIVE YOURSELF A NAME BESIDES "GUEST"! I want to know who keeps coming back and if I've got five people named "Guest" then I can't respond to anyone. Thank you!**

 **And remember:**

 **Reviews = happy me = more writing = chapters done faster = more updates.**

 **Favorites and/or followers + reviews (see above equation) = awesomeness.**

 **Favorites and/or followers with no reviews = sad me = less writing = chapters taking longer = more time between updates.**


	4. A Great Deal Done in a Short Time

**A/N: Okay, so not a whole lot of talking in this chapter. There was going to be more, but the chapter got too long so I split it into two. It would have been too rushed otherwise.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl, I just have my little broken dolls that I play with.**

 **(Bonus points go to anyone who can tell me where inspiration for the chapter titles comes from.)**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: In Which There is a Great Deal Done in a Small Amount of Time and Artemis has a Chat with Butler**

It was the opposite for Artemis. Time didn't seem to move slowly enough. As they say: _so much to do, so little time_.

Unlike Holly, he _was_ directly involved with planning all the minute details of both wedding ceremonies.

The first thing to be determined was the color scheme. Green, representing both races, white, representing Ireland and humans, and gold representing The People.

The venue was next. After much debate, the Slieve Russell Hotel Golf and Country Club was decided upon.

Located in Ballyconnell in Cavan County, the venue was just under two hours from Dublin. The hotel would easily accommodate a reception of up to 500 guests — a requirement for such an important event — but even that was cutting it close.

Not to mention it had a large outdoor space with plenty of room for the Presentation of the Colors, something Artemis understood the fairies to be taking care of entirely.

The tricky part was determining if there would be alcohol allowed on the premise during the wedding.

Those on both sides that were involved with planning the wedding were torn. On one hand, it put every fairy at risk. On the other hand, wedding guests, regardless of their race, were going to want to drink.

Eventually, it was decided after hours of negotiations — and several yelling matches — that there would be designated drinking areas and guards that would assure no alcohol was allowed outside those areas.

The food was easier to deal with. A banquet would suffice to make sure there was a meal everyone in attendance would enjoy.

The trickiest part of the whole thing by far was the guest list and seating arrangements. (So much so that the author refused to even try to describe the process and final result because they were far too complicated.)

When he'd gone over the guest list, Artemis had come across several names he didn't remember placing on it. After some digging, he found they were some of Holly's close, personal friends and, seeing as how none had any history of causing problems, he let it be.

Finally, it was the day prior to the wedding and the bride and groom were set to "meet" for the first time. At least officially.

The night before the rehearsal dinner, just knowing who the bride was — and how she likely would act — had given Artemis a headache.

* * *

By morning, his headache had dissipated and he was able to arrive at the Slieve at exactly 6 a.m., as planned.

He met the wedding planners there — Dasha Heille, a human, and Cloud Heforth, a pixie — and by 7 a.m. setup for the ceremony and reception areas were in full swing under their guidance.

It was a massive undertaking that required almost 100 people, both human and fairy, to complete.

The ceremonies were outside near one of the bodies of water that happened to have an oak tree next to it. Approximately 285 chairs had to be set up in a semi-circle around the tree.

Inside, tables and seating for 500 had to be arranged, the dancefloor had to be prepared and buffet tables had to be set up among hundreds of other tasks.

The trio didn't get a break until just after noon, when lunch arrived.

While the two wedding planners twittered together about some of the finer details, Artemis excused himself to clean up before eating.

Butler followed close behind. As soon as they were alone, he started in on his boss.

"Why are you doing this, Artemis?" the large man questioned.

Artemis sighed and leaned on the edge of the counter in the bathroom he'd retreated to. They'd had this discussion at least a dozen times.

"Butler, we've gone over this already."

"Good PR is not a good reason to get married, Artemis," Butler said.

"Look Butler," Artemis replied, rubbing his forehead. "Regardless of the good press it gains us, this is the best way to end the war and I am the best option for the groom. The Fowls are well known among The People for funding this war. For them to see that humans are laying down arms, someone who has had a large part in its continuation needs to be a part of this marriage."

"Artemis—"

"That is _enough_ , Butler." Artemis spun and set his gaze upon his bodyguard, a man he had come to consider family, rather than an employee. "This is not up for discussion. It is happening, whether or not you like it."

Butler frowned and opened his mouth to argue, but Artemis cut him off.

"That is an _order_ , Butler," he said sharply.

The Eurasian closed his mouth. His lips were a thin line and he obviously was displeased, but he ceased verbally expressing his displeasure.

"Yes Sir," Butler replied in his deep, rumbling voice.

Artemis nodded. "Good."

With that, he turned back to the sink and began washing his hands. He finished, dried his hands, and headed back out to enjoy his lunch as much as one in his position could.

It was late afternoon when the politicians arrived. Dominique Ireabet, Iain Coltford, ceann comhairle of the Dáil Éireann and Galvin O'Neill as representatives of the human race, while Helana, and two other council members joined as representatives of The People.

Quartz Iverson was an aging, white-haired gnome who didn't speak much. He had beady eyes, his back was hunched and he generally replied to questions with a "humph" and an indignant sniff.

Danny Larkspur was exactly the opposite. A relatively youthful sprite with eyes that were a shocking shade of neon orange-pink and a mouth that never seemed to stop smiling, he was the youngest member of the council at only 265 years old.

Introductions were brief, as most already had met at least once during the negotiation process. The next few hours were spent going over details of the peace treaty.

Evening arrived rapidly and along with it, the bride and her escort.

* * *

The sun was setting over the horizon when the shuttle carrying Holly and Root arrived.

Holly, who had been in a perpetual bad mood since she'd been told about the marriage, was in an even worse mood that night.

The stress was getting to her and Root had refused to let her pilot the shuttle on the way there. _Apparently_ he was convinced she would take them to the opposite side of the world instead of the wedding venue.

Holly had rolled her eyes, but when he asked her to deny it, she couldn't.

Far too soon for Holly's liking, the shuttle was landing in one of the Slieve's courtyards. Helana was there waiting for them.

Holly greeted her great-aunt as civilly as she could, given the circumstances, and she was soon being escorted inside.

 **-flips sign to open- Now taking bets on how Holly will react to meeting the groom! Now taking bets! The first person who guesses correctly will get their name in a future chapter. –waits for line to form-**

 **Definitions:**

 _ **Áras an Uachtaráin: official residence of the President of Ireland**_

 _ **\- located in the Phoenix Park on the north side of Dublin.**_

 _ **Taoiseach: Prime Minister of Ireland**_

 _ **Oireachtas: legislature of Ireland**_

 _ **\- consists of the President, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann**_

 _ **Dáil Éireann: Assembly of Ireland**_

 _ **Ceann Comhairle: chairperson of the Dáil Éireann**_

 _ **Seanad Éireann: Senate of Ireland**_

 _ **Cathaoirleach: chairperson of the Seanad Éireann**_

 _ **Presidential Commission: collective vice-presidency of Ireland**_

 _ **\- 3 members: Chief Justice (President of the Supreme Court), Ceann Comhairle and Cathaoirleach**_

 **Remember:**

 **Reviews = happy me = more writing = chapters done faster = more updates.**

 **Favorites and/or followers + reviews = awesomeness.**

 **Favorites and/or followers with no reviews = sad me = less writing = chapters taking longer = more time between updates.**


	5. In Which the Bride and Groom Meet

**A/N: For starters, I am SOOOOOO SO sorry that I disappeared for so long. I got an ovarian cyst that ended up hemorrhaging and I had to have emergency surgery and they took a liter of blood out of my abdomen and it threw EVERYTHING off and I basically fell off the writing train. Of course, that was back in October. So it's really not an excuse to not have gotten back on the train before now. But that's why.**

 **Next, this chapter is un-betaed. I wanted to update because it's been so long, so I've left it as is. Maybe I'll go back and have my beta check it later. (I did.)**

 **Also, winner of the "What will Holly do?" challenge will be announced later. I still have to figure that out…**

 **Just a note: I will be using some Irish terms relating to the government. Definitions of the terms will be at the bottom of each chapter. (I added this to chapters 1 and 3, as well.)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl, I just have my little broken dolls that I play with.**

 **(Bonus points go to anyone who can tell me where inspiration for the chapter titles comes from.)**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: In Which the Bride- and Groom-to-Be Finally Meet and A Great Amount of Irish Terminology is Used**

"I still don't see why I couldn't drive," Holly grumbled as she hopped out of the shuttle onto the soft grass.

From behind her came a tired and extremely annoyed sigh.

"Because you would have taken us to the other side of the world, Short," Root said as he followed her out. "And we both know it. No matter what you say."

 _And that would be a problem_ _ **why**_ _exactly?_ Holly thought petulantly. She had enough sense to keep the comment to herself though.

Between her commanding officer's words about "doing what's best for The People" and the pressure from her family's matriarch — whom she had no way of going against without suffering severe consequences — there had been very little Holly could do to change her fate.

When Holly looked up, she saw Helana standing before her. She instantly soured further.

 _Think of the devil and she shall appear_. The bitter thought flashed through Holly's head.

"Helana." Holly's voice was stony.

The councilperson looked the elf up and down, scowling as she did so.

Holly scowled back, already aware of why the councilperson was upset. Holly was wearing a standard LEP uniform. A buzz baton hung from her hip in place of her usual neutrino — Root had confiscated it prior to takeoff.

"You couldn't have worn something more appropriate?" Helana asked sharply.

"This _is_ appropriate," Holly responded. She began to walk toward the building, speaking over her shoulder as she did so. "We've been over this. I'm a LEP officer and that's who I'm here to represent."

"You are here to represent _The People_ ," Helana shot back, turning to follow her great-niece.

"She's still a LEP officer, Councilperson," Root pointed out as he approached the two women. "I think what she meant was she's representing The People _through_ the LEP."

Helana glared at him. "That is beside the point, Commander."

"It's exactly the point," Holly cut in irritably. "Now, are we doing this shit or not? I mean, if we're not, great. Then let's go."

Helana's gaze shot to Holly and she narrowed her eyes. "You'd best lose that tone, and fast," she said sternly.

Unbeknownst to her great-aunt, Holly rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Being forced into marriage had not put her in the mood to get along with anyone, least of all the people whose idea it had been.

"I mean it Holly. I expect you to be courteous to the humans. Especially to—"

"Alright, alright already!" Holly burst out. "I get it! Play nice with the Mud Men."

" _Exceptionally_ nice," Helana stressed.

"As long as Fowl's not there, we'll be fine," Holly muttered.

Behind her, the two fairies exchanged worried looks that she completely missed.

Holly hadn't exactly keep her feelings regarding the Fowl family — Artemis Fowl II especially — to herself. The Wing Commander quite often had vocalized her dislike of the human she had had the chance to observe during negotiation sessions she'd attended.

It was his attitude she seemed to loathe the most. The way he would play mind games with the fairies he was supposed to be creating peace with and the fact that he spoke to other humans as if every one of them was beneath him irked her like very little else ever had.

Silently, the trio made their way inside the massive — even by human standards — building.

It was several minutes before they arrived at the Kells Bar. It was a beautiful room filled with earthy tones of browns, creams and dark reds.

When Holly saw who was there, she turned around and tried to walk out. When they _finally_ told her who the groom was, she nearly killed them.

"Which is exactly why we didn't tell you before," Root explained.

Holly just glared bloody murder at him. Helana, she refused even to acknowledge.

So long as she behaved and was civil with the humans, especially her soon-to-be husband, then talking wasn't necessary, Helana said. In fact, it probably would be better if she just stayed quiet.

By that point, Holly simply was too furious to speak. Somehow, she managed to disguise the majority of her rage as she practically was dragged across the room to meet the human politicians and, to her loathing, Artemis Fowl II.

Galvan O'Neill was the first to look up as the fairies approached. An overly heavyset man, he didn't bother to try and stand.

"Ah, Commander Root. How wonderful to see you again," he said pleasantly. "I hope your trip was alright."

Root nodded at the balding man. "It was, thank you."

O'Neill smiled at Holly. "And this must be the bride. I'm Galvan O'Neill, the taoiseach. I am beyond thrilled to meet you Miss. Short."

Holly opened her mouth to protest the title, but Root beat her to it.

"Wing Commander."

Holly's gaze shot toward her commander.

The human blinked. "Pardon?"

"Wing Commander," Root repeated. "Not 'Miss.' Wing Commander Short is a high-ranking LEP officer."

He pinned them all with a hard stare. "She _earned_ her position at a very young age, not because other officers with far more years on the force weren't qualified, but because _she's just that good._ " Root continued to address them all, but looked directly at Artemis for his next sentence. "You'd do well to remember that."

The "or else" was left unspoken, yet it rang in the air as clearly as if it had been.

There was an uncomfortable silence which finally was broken by Helana clapping her hands and saying, "Well, let's continue, shall we? You know what they say: So much to do, so little time."

Most of the introductions were swift after that.

In Holly's opinion, the female politician by far was the most pleasant of the bunch. At 5'2" she was still over two feet taller than Holly, but she had a similar build.

"My name is Dominique Ireabet," she said. "I'm the cathaoirleach of the Seanad Éireann."

A male, the tallest of the bunch with kind, green eyes, was the next to step forward. "Iain Coltford, ceann comhairle of the Dáil Éireann. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Holly and Root nodded in greeting, albeit reluctantly on Holly's part.

Councilpersons Iverson and Larkspur, Holly already had met.

Holly wasn't overly pleased about any of the introductions, but it was Dasha and Cloud, the wedding planners, who really got to her.

Dasha was a small, round woman with green eyes and dark blonde hair that was twisted into what had to be a painfully tight bun at the back of her head.

Cloud was a typical pixie — pale skin, light lavender eyes and short, purple-black hair.

The two had come rushing in as soon as they heard the bride had arrived and once they saw her, they _would not_ stop talking.

"Oh my goodness, it's so nice to meet you!"

"The pleasure is all ours! I can't believe we haven't seen you before!"

"Oh Dash, look how gorgeous she is! She's going to light up the room, you can just tell!"

"I know! Oh, look at her eyes! We're going to have to completely revamp the makeup palate so it looks even better!"

Root watched wearily as Holly's eyes grew more and more panicked. When he could tell his officer wouldn't be able to keep herself from punching someone for much longer, he stepped in.

"Heh-hem!" Everyone looked at Root except Holly, who stood rigid, frozen to the spot as she tried to reorient herself.

"I think it's time the bride and groom met," he said softly, all too aware of how much Holly wanted to avoid that particular introduction, but knowing it couldn't be put off any longer.

Holly nearly gave herself whiplash turning her head to look at Root.

To Holly's right, Helana nodded. "Quite true."

The councilperson quickly reached out and grabbed Holly's arm. Before the elf could register and protest what was happening, Helana pulled her a few steps forward.

"Mr. Fowl," Helana said, respectfully nodding her head toward the human who had, until this point, remained silent. "This is Wing Commander Holly Short."

* * *

 **Definitions:**

 _ **Áras an Uachtaráin: official residence of the President of Ireland**_

 _ **\- located in the Phoenix Park on the north side of Dublin.**_

 _ **Taoiseach: Prime Minister of Ireland**_

 _ **Oireachtas: legislature of Ireland**_

 _ **\- consists of the President, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann**_

 _ **Dáil Éireann: Assembly of Ireland**_

 _ **Ceann Comhairle: chairperson of the Dáil Éireann**_

 _ **Seanad Éireann: Senate of Ireland**_

 _ **Cathaoirleach: chairperson of the Seanad Éireann**_

 _ **Presidential Commission: collective vice-presidency of Ireland**_

 _ **\- 3 members: Chief Justice (President of the Supreme Court), Ceann Comhairle and Cathaoirleach**_

 **Remember:**

 **Reviews = happy me = more writing = chapters done faster = more updates.**

 **Favorites and/or followers + reviews = awesomeness.**

 **Favorites and/or followers with no reviews = sad me = less writing = chapters taking longer = more time between updates.**


	6. More Not NOT Specified Info is Revealed

**A/N: I…have no excuse this time. My only excuse isn't really an excuse and that's that I've been busy. Which I have been. On and off. –looks sheepish- Sorry about that.**

 **Anyway! Winner of the "What will Holly do?" challenge is…I don't know. I haven't looked. I'll get back to you on that. Some of you apparently didn't pay attention to the fact that this is an AU/alternate timeline story. So yeah. Remember that from now on.**

 **OH! I went and double-beta'd previous chapters. I don't think anything changed, but just as an FYI.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl, I just have my little broken dolls that I play with.**

 **(Bonus points go to anyone who can tell me where inspiration for the chapter titles comes from. I've had a lot of guesses, but none correct yet.)**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: In Which the Bride- and Groom-to-Be Actually Speak to Each Other and More Not NOT Specified About Holly is Revealed**

Holly looked up for what seemed to be forever until she met Artemis' eyes. In reality, he was only 5'10" to her 3'.

She barely managed to prevent herself from taking a step back when his piercing gaze hit her.

He was wearing a dark grey, pinstripe suit with a white shirt and mahogany tie. His hands were folded behind his back and his expression was serious.

"Holly," Artemis said softly, almost as if she were a frightened animal he didn't want to spook. "Pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

She just stared at him, her face blank and still pale from Dasha and Cloud's overwhelming greetings. Her hazel eyes were wide and slightly glazed over.

Artemis quirked an eyebrow and his lips twitched into something resembling an amused half-smile. "Cat got your tongue, darling?"

Holly snapped out of her daze and glared at him. "I am n—" The elf hissed as sharp nails dug into her arm.

Glaring daggers at Helana, the owner of said nails, Holly spoke to Artemis through gritted teeth. "I am pleased to meet you too."

Artemis did smirk then. "Ah, see? That wasn't too hard. I was beginning to wonder if you ever spoke, considering you always kept quiet during negotiations."

Internally, Artemis shivered. It was the first time he'd ever heard her voice and, even angry, it was music to his ears. Her accent sounded like it could have come from anywhere or nowhere at the same time. If he had to choose though, he would say it was closer to a British accent than anything else.

Outwardly, he cleared his expression and nodded, easily ignoring Holly's death-glare. "Well then, we'd best get a move on. Dasha. Cloud. You're up."

Everyone but Holly — who continued trying to brutally murder him with her eyes — gave Artemis strange looks, confused as to why he so suddenly moved to the next item on the agenda.

He ignored the looks, knowing full-well that the faster they got through this, the less likely it was his future wife would kill someone. That someone most likely being him.

To the side, the two planners looked up from their preparations and blinked several times before Artemis' words registered.

"Oh, of course!" Cloud said eagerly.

"Right this way." Dasha smiled and gestured to a large rectangular table in the middle of the room that had papers scattered across it.

It was too dark to go to the actual ceremony site, so instead, the group crowded around the table and listened as the wedding planners walked them through the next day.

Somehow Holly ended up seated next to Artemis, the two of them directly across from Dasha and Cloud. It did not help improve her mood.

They started by going over the day-of preparations such as hair, make-up and the time that would take. The realization that she was going to be forced to allow people to "doll-her-up," horrified Holly, but she managed to bite her tongue and keep her mouth shut.

What really caught Holly's attention was the absence of the bridal party.

"Where are my bridesmaids?" she asked when they were brought up. "Why aren't they here? Don't they need to be for rehearsal?"

Cloud blinked and looked at the councilpersons.

"Does she know anything?" he questioned. When no one answered, he looked at Holly and said gently, "We did the rehearsal with the bridal party three days ago."

Holly blinked in surprise before sagging slightly, too mentally drained to seethe at the deception or even hid her physical disappointment.

She had insisted on having bridesmaids as soon as she'd found out what they were, wanting and needing the support having her friends with her would provide.

"Oh," she said quietly. Having them there would have made her feel better — made the whole thing slightly more bearable. "They never said anything."

"They weren't allowed to, Short," Root said gruffly. "Security. You understand."

Holly nodded glumly. She did understand, even if she didn't like it.

Watching her reaction out of the corner of his eye, Artemis was suddenly exceedingly glad that he had left her friends on the guest list.

The vows were the next thing they covered. They were fairly generic, especially the human ones due to the fact that a non-religious ceremony had been decided upon.

However, the exact wording was scrutinized in order to make sure that both parties were represented as equals.

When they began to run through the sequence of events during the actual wedding ceremonies, Holly tried her best to pay attention to everything Dasha and Cloud were saying and still remain calm — she really did.

And, up until what was to happen at the end of the human ceremony, she managed to. But when the words, "and then you two will kiss," registered in her brain, she lost it.

" _What?!_ " she burst out, slamming her hands down on the table. " _No!_ That is _not_ happening!"

People jumped and stared at her with wide eyes. Most were completely taken aback by her outburst, but two — Root and Artemis — had expected it, and simply rolled their eyes.

"Yes darling," Artemis said, a hint of annoyance creeping into his tone. "A kiss. It is traditional for the bride and groom to show their affection for each other—"

" _Affection!_ " Holly screeched, whipping around to face him. "Affection my ass! I'll—"

She stopped suddenly and swayed slightly as her eyes began to glow a bright green that was hard to miss.

Bracing her right hand on the table, she rapidly blinked several times before squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head as if trying to clear it. When she opened her eyes again, they were a shade of green similar to healthy grass.

She looked around the table, calmly taking in the wide-eyed, confused expressions.

"Well. Now that that bit of unpleasantness is over…" she said in a much higher, more feminine voice, trailing off as she realized most of the people surrounding her had no idea what had just happened.

All the fairies besides Cloud seemed to have figured it out and were looking appropriately uncomfortable, but the only human who seemed to have any inkling was Artemis. Which was as expected as it was strange, because he really shouldn't have known anything about the Children of the Gods in the first place.

But he was Artemis Fowl II and that meant he knew a great deal of information about a great many things that he shouldn't have. It also meant that he was extremely adept at hiding any surprise he might be feeling.

The female chuckled at their expressions and settled back down in her chair. "I should probably introduce myself. My name is Cerise. I'm Holly's Inner."

* * *

 **…Well the chapter title DID say more not not specified info was going to be revealed!**

 **Remember:**

 **Reviews = happy me = more writing = chapters done faster = more updates.**

 **Favorites and/or followers + reviews = awesomeness.**

 **Favorites and/or followers with no reviews = sad me = less writing = chapters taking longer = more time between updates.**


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